Toronto East Long Distance Series

The TELDS series affords the opportunity for participation in inter-Club ‘Offshore’ events. Offshore races are typically races that are longer in distance, utilizing existing marks with more emphasis on boat handling and strategic sailing skills versus close boat on boat tactical racing skills more often seen in what is referred to as ‘course racing’. The TELDS series will offer a variety of offshore course configurations, lengths and divisions for single handed, double handed and of course fully crewed boats, sailing with and without spinnakers. All boats must have valid PHRF-LO certificates. Great camaraderie pre and post each race will be offered by each club.

Race 1 is called the Whitby 50 and will be hosted by the Whitby Yacht Club (http://www.wyc.ca). The race will start off the Whitby Yacht Club and will sail west to the end of the Leslie Street Spit and back again. The race will start on the evening of Friday June 24th. This date is close do the longest day of the year and sailing east to Whitby with the sun coming up on the morning of June 25th should be special to all competitors.

Race 2 is called the Singer Long Distance and will be hosted by the Frenchman’s Bay Yacht Club (http://www.fbyc.ca). This 70 mile race will start off of Frenchman’s Bay and will cross the lake to the Niagara Mark, back across the lake to the Leslie Street Spit and east to Frenchman’s Bay. This race will start on the evening of Friday July 8th. The lake should be warming up and the winds should be moderate to carry you around the course.

Race 3 is called the Bluffers Distance Race and will be hosted by Highland Yacht Club. This will be a day starting off of Bluffers Park using designated marks along our shoreline so that the length of the race fits nicely with the forecasted wind conditions. This race will start on the morning of Saturday August 6th and will be designed to be completed later in the day. This will be mid-summer and the water will be warm.

Race 4 is called the Whitby 100. The race will start off the Whitby Yacht Club (http://www.wyc.ca) and will sail to the Niagara Mark, back across the lake to a mark off of Newcastle and then west, back to Whitby. The race will start on the evening of Friday September 16th. This will the highlight of the series with a full night of sailing, the sun coming up as you cross the lake towards Newcastle and a morning thermal should be seen to power you down the shore, past the Darlington Nuclear Plant to the finish off of Whitby.

Race 5 is the Ashbridge’s Bay Yacht Club’s Donald D Summerville Memorial race. The race will start off of ABYC and will use designated marks along the shoreline so that the length of the race fits nicely with the forecasted wind conditions. This race will start on the morning of Saturday September 24th and will be designed to be completed later in the day. The winds are normally back for this race and the fleet of will be out for one of the last races of the year.

All races will offer PHRF-LO scoring for fully crewed, single and double handed boats. Within each of these classes, spinnaker and white sail divisions will be offered. Flags will be offered for each race and overall series winners will also be awarded flags after the last race of the year. To qualify for the series awards you must compete in at least 3 races. If you compete in five or four races your best three finishes will count for your series score.